


Putting the "Lab" in "Labrador"

by TuckerMuratore



Series: Happiness is a Warm Puppy [3]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, M/M, puppy, this is all fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-05
Updated: 2015-03-05
Packaged: 2018-03-16 10:09:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3484307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TuckerMuratore/pseuds/TuckerMuratore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fix-it fic. Literally.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Putting the "Lab" in "Labrador"

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place after "Normal is an Illusion," but before the second section of "What a Doll."

Natasha wasn’t precisely sure why, but she wasn’t precisely complaining, either. Peggy preferred to sleep with her, only slept with her, if the truth be told, and if that’s what Bucky’s puppy wanted, then, well, she wasn’t going to alter the situation. However, at this particular moment, it was not okay that Peggy was asleep on her bed. If Peggy was free to sleep on her bed, it meant that Stark was not making her prosthetic. She scooped up Peggy and headed down to the lab.

Tony and Dummy were tinkering away on one of the Iron Man suits. Natasha tapped on the glass to get his attention before walking through the door.

“I told you, Tony, you will fix this for her. And for Bucky. Your lab is rebuilt. Mostly. You have no excuses anymore. I want her to walk. To run after tennis balls. To play Frisbee. She hops, Tony. It's very cute. She needs to not hop. You do not have to like her, but this is what you do for people you are friends with. Bucky is Steve’s best friend. You will do this for them. And remember, I like red polka dots.” Natasha leveled a look at Tony and placed Peggy in his hands.

“Except, so, it’s still growing. Pointless to spend time creating and fitting a prosthetic until it’s stopped growing. Have you ever looked into how fast a Labrador puppy grows? I haven’t, honestly, but considering the lifespan of your average dog, I’d say they grow pretty quick.” He tried to pass Peggy back but Natasha crossed her arms and took a step away. “Right. Judging by the look on your face and your posture, and wow, have you been working on your death glares because quite honestly, that is impressive. I’ll just take this puppy and make it a leg. Because I can do that. Now.”

“It’s not an it, Tony. Her name is Peggy. Polka dots.” She turned and left the lab.

“Right. Dummy, polka dots. We must make polka dots.” Tony placed Peggy on top of the lab table. “JARVIS, I need scans of the puppy…”

***

Pepper stepped off the elevator bank to see Bucky and Natasha playing chess in the living room, Bruce sitting nearby watching the game. “Has anyone seen Tony? It’s almost seven and he promised he would sign the papers for the Maria Stark Foundation.”

Natasha carefully moved her bishop and looked up. “I took Peggy down to his lab this morning to be fitted for the prosthetic I informed Stark that he would build.” She returned to the game.

Pepper headed down the hallway for the stairs to Tony’s lab. She fished her swipe card out and looked up just in time to see Tony bury his nose in Peggy’s belly. He was laughing and Peggy was batting at his ear with her one good front paw. She paused, put her card back, and slowly went back up the stairs.

When she reached the landing, she started running for the living room. “JARVIS, get the Avengers in here! Tell Jane and Darcy! And bring up the lab footage for the past…Natasha, when did you say you dropped Peggy off?”

Natasha castled her king. “Nine forty-two am.”

“Bring up the lab footage since then!” Pepper dropped onto the sofa by Bruce. “You guys have to see this.”

***

“Sir, I must inform you that the Avengers are currently gathered in the living room, along with Agent Coulson, Dr Foster, and Miss Lewis. Your presence is required. Apparently movie night is this evening.”

***

Tony stopped at the edge of the kitchen, Peggy curled against his neck, and stared at the television screen. The room was covered in pizza and popcorn, and the occupants were howling with laughter. _“Who’s a good widdle snuggums! Who is! Peggy is! Ow! Don’t bite the hand that makes your legs, you mongrel. Bad form!”_ His finger came back into the shot and bopped Peggy’s nose. His voice echoed from the screen as the lab camera zoomed around to track his movements. Peggy came completely into the camera view, dangling from Dummy’s claw in an impromptu harness, underneath a rotating model of her skeleton.

“Are you watching lab footage? Because I don’t remember recording this. Someone has clearly hacked the Tower and fabricated this. Shouldn’t we all go figure out who? And stop watching this?” He marched into the living room, made a grab for the remote, and muted the television.

The Avengers twisted around at the sound of Tony’s voice. “Man of Iron! You have made friends with the frightful beast!” Thor gesticulated wildly, still holding the popcorn bowl, and popcorn arced across the room. Phil was hit by the majority of the kernels, and nonchalantly flicked one expertly at the back of Clint’s head.

A flash went off in Tony’s face. He realized a moment too late that he’d forgotten to put Peggy down and now Darcy, the traitor, was passing around her phone. Apparently Peggy had licked his ear, and it was just so adorable. “Darcy, remind me to fire you.” He set Peggy down and watched her hop her way to where Bucky and Natasha were sitting on the floor.

“Technically, I don’t work for you. So you can’t really fire me. Agent Coulson, can Mr Stark fire me?”

“Director Fury, AD Hill, and I are the only ones with the ability to fire you. Which, by the way, will happen if you fail to post the picture on the SHIELD server. You know how much Director Fury likes Labradors. To not share this with him would be a crime. And while being a criminal does not precisely preclude you from SHIELD employment, we do try to keep our staff from actively engaging in criminal activities.” He flicked another kernel at Clint.

“JARVIS, how did this happen?”

“Sir, you asked for a scan of Peggy. You did not specify the type, extent, or duration of the scans. As you are building her a prosthesis, recordings of her current motions and capabilities were deemed vital. Ms Potts, knowing your dislike for Peggy, asked me to keep them in perpetuity.”

“We’ve seen extensive display of your dislike for, what did you call her? Widdle snuggums?” She grinned. “We saw the belly rubs, and the nose bopping, and we saw you feed her the last piece of your sandwich. You never fed me part of your sandwich. We didn’t want you to worry about accidentally losing your notes and being forced to spend all that time with her again.”

“That’s because you are a smart, strong, capable woman who does not need someone to feed her. And you never indicated you would have enjoyed that. I’m not sure if I would have enjoyed that.”

“We also saw when she fell off the treadmill. We didn’t know you could move so fast to console a puppy, Tony.” Clint sent a cocky grin his way. Another piece of popcorn bounced off his head.

“You all are terrible people and I hope she pees in your shoes.” Tony felt a set of hands wrap around his waist.

“I thought it was very sweet, Tony. Thank you,” Steve murmured in his ear.

“The first test leg should be done tomorrow,” he murmured back. “I’ve totally lost all credibility, haven’t I?” He placed his hands on top of Steve’s.

“Not with me.”

“Did they see when I measured her?”

“We were unaware that many piggies went to market.”

Tony groaned. He grabbed Steve’s hand and pulled him from the room. “JARVIS? Cancel all movie nights. We are never having movie night again. Ever.”


End file.
